Winter Run!

Chilly 7 miles!

New Year's Day 10K

Happy New Year!! Wishing everyone a healthy and successful year!

Jingle Bell Jog

Happy Holidays!

Race to Deliver: 4M Race

I ran a 4M race today with colleagues to help raising funds and promote awareness for God's Love We Deliver (GLWD)! The orgniazation prepare and deliver nutritious meals to people who are sick and unable to prepare meals for themselves.  For more information about GLWD, please visit their website.

It was a cold morning with temperature below 40F (4.4C), wind was pretty gusty and it felt like 32F. I had two layers and long sleeves all the way, but the temp was cold enough that my joint felt too cold to move. I could hardly wiggle my fingers when we were waiting to start. 

I ran a decent first mile passing through the Cat Hill on the start. I was starting to feel a little warmer but my hands were still frozen cold. The second mile was pretty flat and steady.  At the end of the 2nd mile I came across someone who dressed the same as me - our jacket, pants, and even ear warmer were the same colors.  Usually it's quite easy to notice and remember the person who dresses like you, or running as the same pace as you.  Needless to say she took notice of me as well.  

Incidents like this in races usually leads to competition.  Somehow she decided that I am her competition and she started racing with me.  I knew this because I saw her passing me, falling back behind me, and passing me again repeatedly in the next 2 miles, literally from the initial encounter to the finish line. It was funny as the third mile was 3 rolling hills and we 'battled' through the hills one after another. We had different approach to ascends and descends so we exchanged lead a few times.  Every single time when I passed her at a steady pace, I could see her passing me again within 10 seconds. 

At 3.5 miles I was getting a little tired and her lead widened.  Towards the end everyone started to speed up so I did my best to follow the pace as well. She looked around and saw me coming and she pushed through as well.  My shoe laces were loose suddenly but I ignored it. (If it were earlier in the race I would have stopped).  We sprinted the last 200-300 meters at almost 2'00" quicker than our race pace!  She ended up beating me by about 2 seconds "at the finish line" (I have no idea what corral she was in and what time she crossed the starting line). I was "beat", but my results and pace were much better than I expected so I was happy.  

The advantage of joining a race instead of practicing by yourself is all about motivation, whether it's keeping up with the people running next to you, or even starting a little healthy competition, it only helps pushing your physical and mental limits and letting you realize how much more you're capable of. 

Finally I met up with colleagues and enjoyed a delicious brunch on the Upper East Side. 

First Cross-State Run

Today marks my first time crossing a state border on foot!  It's quite a nice experience.  I took the trail and exited to the street level on 156th street, then run a good 1-2 miles uphill through the streets of Washington Heights.  Then at 178th street, turn left and head down the block for the pedestrian ramp for the bridge. Then climb a steep ascend on the ramp onto the bridge.    The bridge is only a little bit over 1 mile, although by cars you'll feel a lot longer with the queues to get on it and the heavy traffic when passing through it.   

The middle of the bridge, or the NY-NJ border is a great place to take a break, enjoy the view, and snap a picture or two.  You'll see the great Hudson River separately NY and NJ and the landscape of the two states. 

Summer Exercise Series: Weekday Runs and Workouts

This week is hot! We are getting heat waves and everyday the temp stay around 90s! (~32C)
Luckily I'm working from home this week, so I can go out for a quick run in the morning before the temp is too uncomfortable for running!

Monday: NOTHING (battling a headache, probably from dehydration or sudden temperature change in multiple occasions during the weekend)

Tuesday: Gym only. Ran 1M (1.6K) 100 weighted squats, 100 weighted lunges, 20 supported push-ups, 20 supported pull ups

Wednesday: Ran 3.4M (5.5K) 80F/26.7C

Thursday: Ran 3.1M (5K) 80F/26.7C

Friday: Ran 0.5M (1K), Biked 10M (16K)

Summer Exercise Series: Hot and Humid Run - But turn out perfect!

It was a hot and humid day - feels like 93F, 88% humidity, cloudy with 3 hours away from thunderstorm.  Had a decent afternoon and then went off running at 2pm.  I adjusted my running posture a little bit today, and perhaps from good amount of swimming in the past few days, I was still feeling great in the first 2K despite the heat and humidity.  I actually felt a little surprised as I don't do well running in the heat, but maybe the new posture helps, I did feel like I had more energy.

Then rain started to come down hard, to the point of almost a downpour.   It wasn't supposed to start until 5pm, so I had to run for cover.  Stood under the underpass until it got better but as soon as I start, it felt like 100F and 100% humidity!  It was a tough 1K, and I felt a little dehydrated and fatigued.  

I pushed my best for another 1K, with my heart rate going up to high intensity zone and loss too much fluid, I had to stop to get some water.  In the last 1K I decided to not push to the point of being dehydrated again.  To my surprise, I finished strong comparing to my own PB, by 1'40"!  I looked at my pace in both mi and K, that my last mile was 8'06"/mi and my 4th K was 4'48"/km.  I know it's not a competitive time at all, but racing myself this record was better than the one I had when I was running more regularly 5 years ago.  I thought I would just run slower with age, and after not running for a long time and having a kid, I was a lazy self who didn't want to exercise, had poor choice in my diet, and almost at the verge of hitting the high end of the normal BMI range.  When I finally got back to running, my pace was barely 10'00"/mi or 6'12"/km. 

I would not have imagined doing a 5K under 9'00"/mi or 5'35"/km pace.  I think choosing the right training and diets, and with tenacity and consistency, age is just a number. 

Keep running and keep training!

How to Make Bulky Calf Muscles Look Slimmer/More Toned

"You have big legs"

"You have amphibian legs"

"Your calves are too wide for these foots"

"Big calves don't look good in high heels/skinny jeans/shorts/skirts/dresses/crop pants/(insert fashion item)..."

"It's okay - Muscles are good"

I get it. I have bulky, defined calf muscles, more so than average girls and probably average guys. I have done short distance tracks since elementary school years.  It's hereditary too. Since realizing how big/muscular they look, how much they impacted my dress codes, and how others commented about them. I have trying different methods to try to slim them down.  Well or at least try to make them "look" slimmer.  I looked up methods online and followed them. 

-I have lost 20-25 pounds (all within the normal BMI range) and they barely changed. 

-Most sources cited cardio exercise and lose the extra 'fat'.  I started running longer distance. I actually ran longer distance in the recent years, but they are still proportionally bulky and defined. 

-Most sites suggest walking a lot, avoid high heel shoes that put pressure on the ball of foot which is working the calf muscles, jogging a lot, massaging the area a lot.

-A trainer suggested doing target calf exercises (weighted standing calf raises), stretch a lot, then do not intake any protein to let the muscles reduce themselves.  I saw some results, but also resulted in a lot of cramps. 

-A ex-ballerina emphasized on stretching, especially this one, for 3 mins each side at the end of the day. This position elongate and stretch out the muscles

Honestly, I did not see any significant results.  I was a little disappointed.  Maybe they just don't work for me, or maybe for hereditary reason there's nothing much I can do, and I just have to live with the bulky muscles.  Then out of nowhere, I came across a method that finally worked for me.

No, it does not require painful and costly calf muscle reduction surgery. I will never go under the knife for cosmetic reasons. 

Since running more regularly and covering more distance, I also started foam rolling.  It's basically a roller that you go back and forth on, and it acts as a deep tissue massage.  

It hurts a lot when you are rolling on it. But same as a good sports massage, it helps to stretch out and elongate the muscles, trigger the points and release lactic acid build up so you can reduce soreness and cramps.  It also smooths out the muscles for me. After my distance runs or bikes, I roll and press on it.  For calves I press on every single point of the muscle and move side ways for 20 times. (NEVER roll over your knee/kneecap).  The result from an exercise with rolling is amazing.  Very sore but relieved afterwards.  Post rolling I can almost look like I haven't been wearing heels/doing standing calf raises all day!